The Last Push

After an incredibly indulgent Thanksgiving weekend at home in California, I am now getting ready to go back to the daily grind: class, final projects, stage managing, and hours of rehearsal a day!

I'm so overwhelmed about what is to come in the next and last 3 weeks of the semester, the next 6 months, let alone the next year. Below is the poster for the play that I'm stage managing, I hope everything goes well...the organization and efficiency of everyone on the team is my job!

So here's to taking life one day at a time, or maybe better yet, one hour at a time, getting through with this semester, and moving on with life, no matter what comes!

Reunions

This past week has been a whirlwind unlike any other. I've reconnected with many friends from my NY life, and some from Argentina! I took my grandma to 3 doctors appointments, packed for my new apartment in NY, visited Boston and Amherst, Massachusetts, moved into my apartment, went to my first day of class and had some drinks for the first time (legally) in New York.

First highlight of this crazy week was when Sylvie, one of my closest friends from Argentina, came over for dinner. She goes to Scripps College (only 45 minutes away from my house!), so it was easy to get together. We got empanadas and Quilmes, the food and beer we consumed most in Argentina!

Then literally the next day I flew to Boston to visit Amanda, my best friend from South Pasadena. She had an internship in New York all summer, so I hadn't seen her since December 2009!!! We had a great day spent in lovely Bostonian parks, and at the Samuel Adams Brewery!

Here we are trying some delicious summer ale...

After Boston, I took a 3 hour bus ride to Amherst, MA to see Niall. It was great to see his school and see how different life in more of a rural setting is. I found it much calmer and more spread out. The little college towns were so cute and full of hippies that they reminded me of little beach towns! It was great to see him, but as all of these visits were, it was too short!

Now I'm in NY, in my own own own apartment (see below!), with my NY family and with many lists of things to do and to buy. Moving in is such a process! Rachel is sitting on my bed, and Jackie and Seth (famous from our Youtube collaborations) are sitting at my desk area.

I'm really happy to start getting more settled, because the first 2 days of being here at school have been completely overwhelming. I felt a little disconnected with my school and these people since I haven't seen and in some cases talked to them in a very long time. Slowly but surely I'll feel more at home again, and I can't wait to continue studying theatre and learning about new fields within the theatre world.

I'll post more pictures of my ADORABLE apartment when its all decorated! We're going to Target and some thrift stores to find some cool decor this weekend. Come visit!

Blah Blah

Its really silly that I've been to 14 countries, but the only place I want to go right now is Valencia Street.

Today I'm going to get my mind off things and see some majestic waterfalls with the gang. I'm so lucky I have them to support me and listen to my rants about life and death. I can't handle the idea of most of them leaving in 8 days.

This quote from a terribly popular and catchy song, "California Gurls" is stuck in my head...

"You can travel the world, but nothing comes close to the golden coast!"

Loss = Love

Yesterday after work at Abuelita's, my brother and I went to a Chinese Restaurant to see my mom and Auntie Cristina with 5 of their first cousins. Here is the picture of the 7 Mexican women that completely dominated the Chinese Restaurant last night.

Two of the cousins or primas live in Guadalajara, Mexico and came because my great-aunt Maria Lupe hasn't been doing well in the past couple of weeks. Maria Lupe is my late grandpa's older sister and she is almost 93 years old. This little reunion was so special, because it hasn't happened for a while, and it was meaningful since almost everyone at this table has lost one parent in the last 10 years and now had this in common.

My grandpa died 11 months ago today at 83 years old. Exactly a month from today will be his "death day" celebration and that idea is completely overwhelming. I feel him with me and in the other room when I'm taking care of my grandma, and everytime I see his chain around my neck. I always say that I wish people talked about death more because I felt somewhat alone when I was mourning in New York. I'm starting to realize why people don't though, it stings so terribly and makes us think about our own mortality, which can be scary.

Amanda my best friend since Kindergarten is leaving for Boston in two days, which means that I won't see her for 6 months, until after Argentina. I have had to say many goodbyes in 2009, some more permanent than others, nevertheless they have become much harder for me to get through. All the adventures I have had and been blessed with come with a cost since I am always away from people that I love--whether its my family and childhood friends, or my New York family.

I was happy to see my mom reuniting with her cousins because even though our lives have all recently had the pain of loss, they all stay in touch, which I think is most important! So even though I always miss people, it reminds me that I have loved people, and they have loved me, and still do, so in the end its worth it!

Change is in the Air!

This blog is for my friends and family to track my upcoming international adventures, and all the changes that will be happening in my life! In 4 days I will be finished with my finals, and done packing (hopefully) and will return home for Christmas! I'll be home in CA for 2 months, before I start my Study Abroad program in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'll be there for 5 months, tracking my adventures, and then return home for another 2 months before I start my senior year of college!

I'm definitely in a flux of emotion and location which is why I'm making a blog--so that you can track me and keep in touch, no matter where in the world I am.

Here are some pictures of my Thanksgiving in London, England with one of my best friends from CA, Amanda.

Here are the sugar cookies in my mom's style that I made with one of my NY best friends, Rachel to get in the Christmas-y mood!

Another recent change in my life is that I have officially decided to change my major to THEATRE! I realized that it, so far, is the love of my life, and therefore I should not let anything get in the way of learning and working towards a theatrical career. One amazing thing that helped me in this decision was my trip to Helsinki, Finland this past summer, May 09. There we saw amazing theatre--2 productions were written and directed by Kristian Smeds. The theatre professor that I went to Finland with invited him to our school and he came, gave a workshop and talked with us! I was lucky enough to pick him up from the airport! Here we are eating with him. He was incredibly inspiring and I can't wait to start my theatre life at school with his influence in mind!